I skipped way too far ahead in the Goddard chronology with Long Time Coming, so I’m glad to be back on track with this one. Not that it matters what order you read his books in, since they don’t trace the brilliant career of only one main detective/special agent/little old lady with knife-sharp intuition. Goddard gives us someone new every time, and this time it’s a “bad guy with a good heart” I took a liking to: Guy Horton.As a dirty rotten scoundrel, he’s besties with partner in crime Max Wingate, but as our narrator, Guy confides more freely in us than in anyone else. In fact, for a professional liar, he’s probably the most honest of Goddard’s narrators. The book’s action lives up to its synopsis: boys meet girl (Diana Charnwood, eligible heiress), one boy loses heart to girl, other boy has to fight for life and limb in one escapade after another. Fun for all. In case you’re thinking, “Yeah, yeah, I know where it goes from there,” I should tell you it doesn’t … necessarily. As our anti-hero disentangles himself from each web of lies, the story arc may well bend in a way you won’t expect.The turn started gently – what happened to Charnwood, what Guy overheard, what Diana did – but when the journalist told Guy what he knew, my surprise was complete and bordered on incredulity. Nothing in the book’s blurb had prepared me for it. (This is with good reason – if we knew from the outset what Goddard divulges on his website about the idea behind the book, it would really spoil our fun.) It took the completion of that turn of events for me to trust that the author knew where he was going (sacrilege, I know), and that only lasted until the question, “Where is H. L.?” came up.So, on it will go, Goddard spinning improbable circles around you. Around page 400 you may feel like you’re going around in circles, but you won’t say you’re not enjoying the ride. By the end of it, you might even marvel at the neat way he’s tied up every loose end.
This is the first thriller that I've ever read. This isn't really my genre, but the book isn't bad and it won't turn me away from choosing another one like it. I might even choose another one by Robert Goddard. There are a couple of things I'd point out, however.While the plot can be well described as mystery, I find some characters have been literally "forced" into the plot, by acting out some scenes unconvincingly. This especially pertains to the character of Diana.I must give the author credit, though, for Max's seemingly irrational behavior after the murder being justified by subsequent plot development (and by the gradual demystification of the circumstances of the murder). I did wonder what would have lead him to what he did, for surely it couldn't be just love, and I'm glad to have the answer after having read the book (especially as I know some authors would leave such things hanging).
What do You think about Closed Circle (1994)?
Read by................... Bill WallisAbr/Unabr................ UnabridgedGenre...................... Fiction - MysterySource.................... CDTotal Runtime.......... 12 Hrs 22 Minsblurberoonies - The year is 1931. The new and luxurious transatlantic liner Empress of Britain is on her eastward passage. Among the first-class passengers on board are two English confidence tricksters, making a discreet exit from a little awkwardness they have left behind them in the United States. A chance mee
—Bettie☯
This was a huge disappointment. Peopled by the most unappealing and uannatractive cast of characters-con men and fraudtsers, every last one-this really failed to come up to par with the previous Goddard books I have read. The plot is also ludicrous. I read it to the end, in the hope of some pleasant twists-but none was forthcoming. I much prefer the psychological examinations Goddard does so well-tight knit and clever-whereas this just aimed to be sensationalist. Thank goodness it wasn't the first one of his works I had read, as it would not incline ne to try any of his others.
—Elaine
This is the continuation of my quest to read all of Robert Goddard's books in chronological order.Flawed protagonist: checkMulti-twisted plot: checkMany layers of unraveling the solution: checkMaintain interest on the part of reader: checkKeep reader guessing: check, although sometimes things were clearly going to happen, but how, we didn't know.Interesting historical background: check -- this time, 1931, with the Great Depression unraveling the UK government. I now want to learn more about the details of this particular part of history, not least because I see many parallels in today's recession/depression. Also, the beginnings of WW1.As usual, Goddard sucked me in, despite his use of what feels like out of date language (perhaps intentional, given the period), and characters that seem to alternate between the astute and the gullible. What seems to matter is not the characters, but the details of the plot twists.On to the next one...
—Bryan Higgs
